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  • February 29, 2016 at 2:47 pm #33555
    Anonymous

      ok – so i’ve got a akg c519m microphone
      http://www.akg.com/pro/p/c519group

      this microphone clips on the bell, and is very close to the
      bell when recording. I haven’t had time to try it out properly yet.

      in the meantime can someone explain why i might want to use
      the bass roll off switch on a sax? is something you would use in
      a live band recording and not in a studio recording of the sax on its own?

      I can understand using a bass roll off for a vocalist, but i’m a bit fuzzy on using with a sax

      February 29, 2016 at 2:59 pm #33556
      William Cingolani
      Participant

        congrats. Let us know how it sounds.

        February 29, 2016 at 5:11 pm #33558
        john
        Keymaster

          Bass roll off on a sax? likely not needed. The bass frequency range we’re talking about is between about 60 Hz and maybe up to 200Hz and the sax doesn’t really live in this range, especially an alto. so the bass roll off isn’t going to effect it, live or in the studio. having said that, if the mic is really close to the bell opening and you’re honking on your lowest notes the roll off switch could be good, anyway it’s not messing with the rest of the sax’s tone so won’t do any harm.
          the only time I use bass roll off is on an actual bass track that is sounding a bit too boomy and bassy and rolling off a few DB’s around 140-160 Hz clears it right up. Some will nix everything under around 60 Hz because your speakers aren’t gonna handle it anyway.

          March 1, 2016 at 1:02 am #33566
          Anonymous

            thanks JF – reading the manual, its aimed at saxophones and clarinets and any brass instrument with a bell – so i was wondering why need it on an alto sax.

            from what i’ve read it can help with reducing nearby sounds like low hum from air conditioners.

            Thanks for the feed back!!

            i will test out the difference eventually, bit often helps to be armed with information before testing things out (especially nitro glycerine) lol

            March 2, 2016 at 12:09 pm #33663
            Bill Mecca
            Participant

              bass roll off may help with key noise/handling noise. I usually roll it off, it ain’t hurting and may be helping.

              March 2, 2016 at 12:59 pm #33665
              Anonymous

                Thanks Bill – i tried out microphone on monday for 1/2 hr, and compared it with & without the wind shield. i preferred the windshield on as without the wind shield the sound sounded too gritty and growly and buzzy for my liking with the wind shield on made it sound more mellow.

                Hope to try it out on friday when i have more time, and try out the bass roll off to see if there is any significant difference in all the registers.

                1st impression i got from playing back was the backing track wasn’t the right volume to blend in with the sax, and in play back the very low notes seemed to be four times louder than the middle and upper notes.
                in terms of pitch everything sounded fine and not distorted.

                So It looks like a case of getting used to logic pro settings and the gain settings on the audio interface to find the right balance when the sax plays alongside the backing track.

                March 2, 2016 at 9:38 pm #33704
                wayne wojnarowski
                Participant

                  Come on Man call me I’ll I’ll tell ya how to do it !!!

                  March 3, 2016 at 1:30 am #33710
                  Anonymous

                    Bang ti ti ti ti
                    Bang ti ti ti ti
                    Bang ti ti ti ti
                    Bam Ba Dam Bam Bam
                    Put ya glad rags
                    we’ll sing dat sang
                    we gonna rock
                    all nite long
                    we gonna rack around
                    da clack tonite

                    rock on wayne

                    March 3, 2016 at 6:30 am #33728
                    Bill Mecca
                    Participant

                      you’re using a clip on to record? aim the microphone mid stack, at the lower part of your left hand. The bell keys will boom a bit. Not a big deal in a live situation on a gig since you are competing against guitars, but for recording I prefer a mic on a stand, and work the mic a bit, moving away for those booming low notes etc.

                      I record sax on it’s own track and then mix them together, a bit of reverb on the sax, maybe a touch of compression, and EQ to make it sit in the mix, rather than ride on top of the backing track. Shake it all together and you have rock and roll. LOL.

                      March 3, 2016 at 12:47 pm #33743
                      Anonymous

                        Thanks for the tip Bill will try that tomorrow with the microphone position. I’ll try and get a reasonable recording of the sax 1st before bringing in a backing track.

                        have to start reading up on compression & Eq – not used them before, as i’ve never used recording software and an audio interface.

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